Restaurateur accused of killing daughter with poisoned wine
A restaurant owner with ties to a family brewing company has been charged with allegedly poisoning her daughter to death with spiked wine during Thanksgiving dinner.
Wine-related crimes are on the rise, as detailed in parts one and two of db’s exclusive series The Wine Crime Files.
This week (on Tuesday 20 January) a German-American woman attended a bond hearing in North Carolina, charged with first-degree murder after allegedly killing her own daughter, and making her other daughter extremely ill, using poisoned wine. The prosecution alleges that during the family’s Thanksgiving dinner in November 2005 Gudrun Casper-Leinenkugel served a tainted bottle of wine, which was shared between the deceased, Leela Livis, Leela’s husband and Leela’s sister. Nine other guests were present but they are thought not to have consumed the same wine.
All three victims fell ill shortly after the dinner, with Leela’s obituary revealing that she died on 1 December.
Police at the Henderson County Sheriff Office determined that the wine consumed by the victims had been spiked with acetonitrile, a clear liquid commonly found in lithium batteries that converts into cyanide over time. Officers also uncovered a Google search on the accused’s computer: “what happens if I accidentally ingest acetonitrile,” according to the prosecution.
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Casper-Leinenkugel is said to have opened six bars and restaurants across the US, with the latest property modelled on the brewhouses she grew up around in Germany, as well as her extended family operating the Leinenkugel Brewing Company in Wisconsin. The brewer, which has been running for 158 years, sells a wide range of German-inspired beers from shandys and IPAs to Weiss beers and Bocks. According to its website, “today sixth generation family members are involved in the company, helping to bring family-inspired recipes to consumers across the country.”
Rap sheet
Police are also investigating Casper-Leinenkugal for an earlier crime, believing she may be connected to the demise of one Michael Schmidt, who died in a house fire in 2007. For this reason she has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder, as well as two counts of attempted murder.
Additionally, she has been charged with three counts of distributing prohibited food and beverages.
Casper-Leinenkugal was denied bond during the hearing this week and will appear back in court for a probable cause hearing on 10 February.
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